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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · lash · date · chair · current · kick · clip · cabinet

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. deal — to handle
  3. date — the fruit
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. current — of water
  7. clip — a video
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — in football
  11. clip — for paper
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — a leader
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com